Soldier Life

Special Forces

Special Forces missions range from Counter-Terrorism to Humanitarian Efforts to Unconventional Warfare. These Soldiers are highly trained and physically tough — serving in one of the most difficult and rewarding programs in the Army.

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Soldier Life

SPECIAL FORCES TRAINING

Become One Of The Army's Most Specialized Soldiers

Special Forces (SF) Soldiers are the experts in unconventional warfare. They deploy on a variety of missions all over the world. They are the specialized 'minutemen' of today's Army — highly trained and ready to go anywhere at a moment's notice.

Special Forces missions are sensitive in nature and sometimes classified. Because Special Forces teams can be the first point of contact in negotiations with foreign or guerilla parties, they must keep the highest level of professionalism at all times.

In order to start training as a Special Forces Soldier, you must have completed the following courses:

Training for a Special Forces Soldier takes place over many phases and courses.

Phases & Courses

Special Operations Preparatory Course (SOPC)

This is a 30-day course taught at Fort Bragg that helps Soldiers who are recruited from the 'street' — and not coming from the Army already'to complete the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course. It focuses on physical training and one of the most important skills a SF Soldier can have: land navigation. This course does not guarantee you will pass the selection process described next.

Special Forces Assessment And Selection (SFAS)

This is 24 days of training like you've never experienced — and it's all about survival. Your intelligence, agility and resourcefulness will all be tested. If you make it, you can continue on to the SF Qualification Course.

Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC)

The SFQC consists of five phases (II-VI). If you complete this training, you will be a Special Forces Soldier — one of the Army's experts in unconventional warfare.

INDIVIDUAL SKILL
The Individual Skill Phase (II) consists of land navigation, small unit tactics and live-fire training.

MOS TRAINING
During the MOS Training Phase (III) you will be instructed on your specialty skills, which will be based on your background, aptitude and interests.

COLLECTIVE TRAINING
This phase (IV) consists of Special Forces doctrine and organization, Unconventional Warfare Operations, Direct Action Operations, Methods of Instruction and both Airborne and Airmobile Operations. You will deploy to the Uwarrie National Forest, North Carolina, for an unconventional warfare exercise. There you will perform as a member of the Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) team, and your specialty and common skills will be evaluated.

LANGUAGE TRAINING
After you've become a SF Soldier, you are required to take language training (Phase V). Languages learned can range from romance languages like Spanish, to more difficult one-year courses in Arabic or Korean.

Sere Course

The Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) course will complete your training in the SFQC (Phase VI).

Live Environment Training (LET)

As an SF Soldier, you might receive training that completely immerses you in another culture. You'll learn to be fluent in that country's language, customs and traditions becoming a virtual citizen of that country.